Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracles of Mary)

Collection ID

MS.000304

Type

Manuscript

Date

18th Century

Geography

Ethiopia

Language

Ge'ez

Medium

Ink on Parchment

Dimensions

9.3 × 8.3 × 3.2 in. (24 × 21.1 × 8.1 cm)

Exhibit Location

Not on View

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most venerated saint in the Ethiopian religious tradition. Over 100 miracles are attributed to her, and many Ethiopian churches are dedicated to her honor. During the reign of King Dawit (r. 1382–1413), a translation of the French (and later Arabic) book the Miracles of Mary was commissioned for his personal use. Later, King Fasilädäs (r. 1632–1667) commissioned many profusely illustrated copies of the Gospels and the Miracles of Mary (called Täˀammərä Maryam). This copy, produced in the eighteenth century, is not illustrated and contains 57 miracle stories. To learn more about the Miracles of Mary in this manuscript, please visit https://pemm.princeton.edu/manuscripts/MoBEth304.

Created in the eighteenth to nineteenth century, Ethiopia.[1] Purchased privately by Sam Fogg Rare Books and Manuscripts, London, England; Purchased privately in 2010 by the Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2013 to Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Notes: [1] Dated in 2023 by Dr. Steve Delamarter of George Fox University and Dr. Jeremy Brown of the Catholic University of America based on the art, handwriting, and materials. There is one colophon on the final folio, which reads, “In the year of John,” which was perhaps written later. No other colophons are present to indicate a date of creation.

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